The Road to Revolution
1763-1775
The American Pageant
Chapter 7
Deep Roots of Revolution
 Revolution was actually developing in minds of colonists from first settlements.
 To emigrate is to rebel.
 Distance weakens authority
Deep Roots of Revolution (2)
 Colonists came to common belief: British authorities fundamentally different – unfit to
tell them what to do.
 Set up their own parliaments, thought themselves “American” not transplanted
Britons.
The Mercantile Theory
 Mercantilism: wealth is power, key to wealth is export more than import.
Colonies’
role: provide raw materials (so do not have to import from other nations) and markets
for exports.
The Mercantile Theory (2)
 European nations relied on strong central govt’s to enforce mercantile doctrines.
 Americans: ensure British naval supremacy through ships, ships’ stores, sailors, trade.
The Mercantile Theory (3)
 Americans (2): provide profitable market for English manufactured goods,
discouraged from buying these goods from other countries.
The Mercantile Theory (4)
 Americans (3): Keep gold/silver within empire by growing products (tobacco/ sugar)
that England would otherwise have to buy elsewhere.
Merc. Trammels on Trade
 Most famous of laws to enforce mercantilism were Navigation Laws (1650).
Restricted trade to English vessels (no Dutch).
 Additional laws: Goods bound for colonies had to go to England first for duties.
Merc. Trammels on Trade (2)
 Colonists also not allowed to manufacture certain products to not compete with
British.
 B/c so much importing, colonials lacked currency, barter economy developed.
Merc. Trammels on Trade (3)
 Many colonies forced to issue paper money, then forbidden by Parliament, angered
Americans.
 Privy Council could veto (“royal veto”) col. assembly laws. Used sparingly, but
fiercely resented.
Merits of Mercantilism


Until 1763, Navigation Laws were not burden b/c laxly enforced (salutary neglect).
Merchants disregarded or evaded restrictions, some got rich by smuggling (e.g. John
Hancock).
Merits of Mercantilism (2)
 Some Americans were helped by mercantilism: Ship parts & stores producers got price
supports, VA tobacco farmers guaranteed monopoly on English market.
Merits of Mercantilism (3)
Other benefits to Americans:
Merits of Mercantilism (4)
Other benefits to Americans:
Menace of Mercantilism
 Mercantilism stifled economic initiative due to lack of freedom.
 South favored due to Tobacco, sugar, rice – revolution came primarily from New
England (unwanted relatives).
Menace of Mercantilism (2)
 VA tobacco growers hurt b/c British merchants gouged them, price fall forced them
into generational debt. Joined New England in desire for revolt (“Liberty or Death” or
“Liberty or Debt”?).
Menace of Mercantilism (3)
 Most important, mercantilism was insulting: colonies felt they were being milked like
cows, kept in economic adolescence.
 British failed to see an emerging nation.
Stamp Tax Uproar
 After Seven Years’ War Britain had huge empire, but also huge debt.
from defending American colonies.
 London: Col. should now pay 1/3 of cost of troops in America.
Stamp Tax Uproar (2)
 1763: PM Grenville ordered enforcement of Nav. Laws
 1764: Sugar Act – 1st law to raise tax revenue in colonies for crown.
 1765: Quartering Act – must house British troops.
Stamp Tax Uproar (3)
Half of debt
 1765: Stamp Act – req. stamps on bills of sale, commercial & legal documents like
playing cards, newspapers, diplomas, marriage licenses.
 Grenville simply asking col. to pay fair share.
Stamp Tax Uproar (4)
 Americans concerned about losing money, rights: some col. assemblies refused to
comply with Quartering Acts.
 Also, laws jeopardized rights as Englishmen due to trial in admiralty courts.
Stamp Tax Uproar (5)
 Americans: why troops needed now that French gone & Pontiac defeated? Could
purpose be to keep us in line?
 “No taxation without representation!”
Stamp Tax Uproar (6)
 Grenville: Power of Parliament is supreme, plus you are rep. – “virtual
representation.”
 Americans did not really want rep., but stuck to principle.
 Led eventually to rejection of all of authority of Parliament.
Repeal of Stamp Act
 Response to Stamp Act: Stamp Act Congress of 1765.
Stated rights, grievances, asked
for repeal. England ignored.
 Nonimportation agreements: boycotts of British goods.
Repeal of Stamp Act (2)
 Boycotts united Americans for 1st time in common action.
 Sons/Daughters of Liberty “enforced” the boycotts with violence against violators/
officials.
Repeal of Stamp Act (3)
 Protests resulted in breakdown of collection machinery.
By the day the tax went into
effect, stamp agents had been forced to resign. No one to sell stamps.
 English economy hard hit by boycotts.
Repeal of Stamp Act (4)
 1766: Parliament reluctantly repealed Stamp Act, passed face-saving “Declaratory
Act.”
 Colonies proved that London could be forced to yield.
Tea Tax/Boston Massacre
 1767: New PM Townshend encouraged passing of Townshend Acts – import duty on
glass, white lead, paper, paint, tea, paid at col. ports.
 Argument: difference between internal & external taxes.
Tea Tax/Boston Massacre (2)
 Americans rejected distinction, felt tax on tea esp. bad.
 Tax revenues used to pay royal governors, removing power of purse from col.
assemblies.
 1767: Brit. suspended NY leg. for Quartering Act violations.
Tea Tax/Boston Massacre (3)
 Nonimportation agreements revived, but less effective because tax was light, indirect,
could find cheap smuggled tea.
 1768: Breakdown of law – British land troops in Boston, taunted by colonials.
Tea Tax/Boston Massacre (4)
 March 5, 1770: crowd of about 60 colonials attack 10 redcoats, who fire w/out orders,
11 killed or wounded.
 Trial: 2 redcoats found guilty, defended by John Adams.
Comm. of Correspondence
 1772: Samuel Adams, “Penman of Revolution,” organizes local committees of
correspondence in Boston, spread to rest of MA.
 Purpose: spread propaganda/ information to keep opposition to British policies alive.
Comm. of Correspondence (2)
 1773: VA sets up CofC within House of Burgesses.
Soon every colony had central
committee to exchange info w/ other colonies.
 Evolved into 1st American congresses.
Boston Tea Party
 1773: boycotts weakening, tea tax paid b/c legal tea cheaper than smuggled tea.
 1773: British East India Co. had too much unsold tea, awarded monopoly on American
tea supply, made tea even cheaper.
Boston Tea Party (2)
 Americans felt British trying to get Americans to accept tea tax by bribing them with
cheap tea.
 MD: colonists burned tea ships.
 Boston: col. disguised as Indians dumped chests from 3 ships into harbor (Dec., 1773).
Intolerable Acts
 British outraged, even those friendly to America.
 1774: Parliament passes series of laws to punish Boston, specifically closing harbor
until damages paid, restrictions on town meetings.
Intolerable Acts (2)
 1774: Quebec Act while good for French subjects, angered colonists, esp. antiCatholics/ land speculators. Was not only aimed at Massachusetts, but all colonies.
Continental Congress
 1774: Response to Intolerable Acts – Continental Congress summoned in Philadelphia
to redress grievances.
 55 delegates from 12 colonies (no GA), incl. S. Adams, J. Adams, Washington, Henry
Continental Congress (2)
 Under influence of J. Adams, drew up Declaration of Rights, created The Association
(called for complete boycott, 1st step to constitution for colonies).
 Reconvene in May, 1775 if grievances not addressed.
Continental Congress (3)
 American petitions rejected by Parliament.
 Muskets collected, men drilling
 April, 1775: British troops sent from Boston to Lexington & Concord to seize
gunpowder, arrest S. Adams & Hancock.
Continental Congress (4)
 “Minute Men” refused to disperse at Lex., 8 col. killed.
 Concord: Redcoats forced to retreat by Americans after 70 killed, 300 injured (“shot
heard round the world”).
Brit. Strength/Weakness
Strengths:
Brit. Strength/Weakness (2)
Weaknesses:
Brit. Strength/Weakness (3)
Weaknesses (2):
Col. Strength/Weakness
Strengths:
Col. Strength/Weakness (2)
Strengths (2):
Col. Strength/Weakness (3)
Weaknesses:
Thin Line of Heroes
 Military supplies (incl. food & clothes) very low.
 American militiamen highly unreliable, little training (7 or 8 thousand well-trained by
end).
 Blacks served on both sides, Brits offered freedom to slaves.
Thin Line of Heroes (2)
 Morale undermined by American merchants profiting from trade with British.
 Actually, only a minority of colonials identified with cause of independence.